Since 1978, I’ve been a proud citizen of Salmon Nation after being born, raised, and educated in the upper Midwest. I am a husband, father, and grandfather and currently serve as Lead Pastor at the Lutheran Church of the Good Shepherd, in Olympia, WA. In addition to my theological training, I also earned a M.A. in Pacific Northwest History at Portland State University where I served as campus pastor. For the past several years, I’ve been engaged with Martha Maier and a small cadre of pastors and professors in a project entitled Practicing our faith in Salmon Nation generously funded by the Louisville Institute. Our goal has been to explore ways in which people in the Pacific Northwest – a region of historically low religious affiliation – find meaning in their lives and whether or not Lutherans have anything to offer the region from our theological and liturgical traditions. Needless to say, it’s been an interesting effort. When I’m not serving as a pastor or working on the Salmon Nation project, I enjoy kayaking on Puget Sound, fly-fishing in the rivers and lakes of our region, listening to jazz, and cooking for my wife and friends.